Brain Damage
by Meomi
Summary: A terrible accident leaves Sakura with the heavy decision of whether to fight for her life or to merely give up. Based off a Christmas Carol, with a twist, due to the fact it aint Christmas.


Brain Damage: HIT AND RUN!  
  
-Meomi  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
It was a lovely day to go to the zoo, to be sure. The sky was a canvas of an immaculate sky blue, only the faint scudding of a white cloud marring the appearance, but that made it appear even more a painting. The heavily flowered sakura trees stood strong around the zoo, billions of tiny blossoms flooding the area.  
  
Sakura Kinomoto, at the age of sixteen, couldn't have been happier. Still cute and sweet, she gazed at the monkeys as Eriol read the small plaque in front of the cage. Tomoyo, naturally, had brought her video camera, and Meilin and Syaoran were arguing over something.  
  
It was Sakura's birthday, and for the first time she was sixteen. For her birthday, Tomoyo had insisted she had worn an outfit she had crafted herself, and it was lovely indeed. A slim-fitting sakura-pink top with a short, black skirt, paired with Sakura's converse equaled something close to goddess-like in Syaoran's eyes, not that he'd admit that.  
  
It was almost sad to know that, six years later from confessing his love to her, Syaoran only had hope to keep him from breaking down and crying in self-pity. Sakura was painfully shy when alone with him, and the hint of having a relationship of the romantic kind was lost on her innocent, naïve mind. Syaoran lived many a day suffering through the idea she might never be his girlfriend.  
  
But today he was in a good mood, and he good-naturedly argued with Meilin. She finally gave up, twirling away and whacking him with her massive pigtail. A bit upset at being whacked with the raven hair, he turned away to find Sakura watching him. Him and Sakura...  
  
She flushed slightly, and looked down. The chain between them broke.  
  
"And the Mountain Mo- Hey, you guys aren't listening!" Eriol muttered, glancing at the two blushing lovebirds. "What's wrong with you two?" A pause, and he smirked. "Is my cute, little ancestor still too in-love and too shy to flirt with her?" he thought in his head. "How... sad."  
  
Tomoyo gleefully captured this on tape, remembering in her mind to call this portion CUTE SAKURA AND SYAORAN MOMENT, VOL 5, #67. Feeling quite pleased at finding another moment, she gazed at Meilin, who pouted from her lack of attention.  
  
"Aren't they sweet?" Tomoyo whispered to Meilin, who nodded quietly. Although she loved her cousin, she had realized her love was that of admirance and idolism, not of passion and adoration.  
  
Sakura's head snapped up, her cheeks blushing a fiery red. "Hey, let's go look at the pandas!" she said quickly. Without so much a thought, she took Syaoran's hand in hers and smiled warmly; despite the fact her face was the shade of a tomato. Syaoran gulped, and their fingers interlaced.  
  
"Yes," Sakura thought happily as she and her beloved walked hand-in-hand. "Today is going to be a good day."  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
"Hey, look, it's a cotton-candy booth!" Meilin cried excitedly, raven- haired pigtails bobbing. "Ooo, let's get some, please!"  
  
Eriol chuckled slightly, prodding Tomoyo with his index finger to tear her away from the eyepiece of her camcorder. Noticing the cotton candy, Tomoyo smiled, her elegant face lighting up. Eriol almost had to catch his breath, but instead only smiled slightly. He is so reserved, Tomoyo thought to herself, feeling a slight redness in her pale cheeks.  
  
'Hoee! Cotton candy!" Sakura cried excitedly, squeezing Syaoran's hand, which he squeezed in return automatically. "Syaoran-kun! Let's get some, please?" she asked sweetly, slightly stroking the back of his hand with his fingers. Unable to speak, and amazed at the fact she remained oblivious of the effect she had on him, he nodded, and they both began to cross the street.  
  
"Cotton, candy!" Sakura chanted under her breath, a slight tightening in her belly as Syaoran tightened his hold on her hand. Did he know how in love she was with him? The dizziness in her head and the wonderful swell of pleasure in the pit of her stomach told her yes, but her heart was beating so loudly she could barely hear its message.  
  
"Sakura, I'll buy you some," he offered, Meilin glaring at him for not offering her the same thing. He remained oblivious, and Meilin ended up paying for her own puff of sugary sweetness.  
  
"Really? Domo arigatou!" she breathed happily, snatching off a piece of soft pink candyfloss and placing it in her mouth. She smiled mischievously to herself, then pulled off a piece, and placed it in Syaoran's mouth.  
  
Di-Did she just finger-feed me? he thought confusedly, the sugar dissolving in his mouth. Yes, yes, she did. At realizing this, he blushed slightly, the two sixteen-year olds sharing their single cone of sweet floss.  
  
"Isn't that adorable?" Tomoyo murmured to Eriol, turning her head to him. Today she had pinned her waves of plum into an intricate bun, cascades of waves falling to her shoulders, the single blossoming branch of a plum tree tucked into the middle of the bun.  
  
Eriol nodded slightly, and without a sound, slightly brushed Tomoyo's hand. She flushed slightly, and accepting this as a sign to proceed, her hand ended up in his.  
  
As Meilin watched the two couples, she pouted to herself and ate her cotton candy in sour, good-natured jealousy.  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
"I want to see the pandas!" Tomoyo cried excitedly, reading a small pamphlet she had received from the visitor's center. "Please, oh please!"  
  
She sent a begging glance to the others in the group. Sakura, unable to defend herself against her best friend's strategies, nodded enthusiastically. After realizing Sakura was in, Syaoran shrugged, which caused Meilin to let out a big "I'll go!" Finally realizing the chain reaction had come to him, Eriol shook his head helplessly and held up his hands in surrender.  
  
"Let's go," Tomoyo said happily, hooking arms with Sakura. Sakura sent a sorry glance at Syaoran, and their handholding ceased, making Tomoyo pucker her forehead. She hadn't realized that would happen, but they would have plenty of time to flirt later during the IMAX movie.  
  
"Pandas are cute, aren't they, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura said gleefully. Syaoran listened to her words intently, his heart stuttered at the lilting soprano voice she possessed. He felt a warm hand clamp on his shoulder, and another soft hand hook onto his waist, and he turned to see Meilin and Eriol smiling at him, partially because he was so in love and partially because he had gotten caught in the act.  
  
"Syaoran, you're a mess!" Meilin teased, her hand in Syaoran's back pocket. She bumped him with her hip, causing him to back up into Eriol, who mimicked Meilin. Syaoran glared at Eriol, who realized he had crossed the line and removed his hand from Syaoran's back pocket. "Sorry, Syaoran- chan!" he said in a high falsetto voice.  
  
Meilin and Syaoran both sent a playful glare in his direction, only causing Eriol to smirk and pat Syaoran on the head affectionately. "Ah, my little, sweet ancestor, you must tell her," he said, completely serious.  
  
Taken aback by the mood change, he looked over at Sakura and Tomoyo, both fawning over the pictures and pamphlet and trying to find their way through the zoo.  
  
"What do you mean?" he hissed unintentionally, leaning forward to whisper in Eriol's ear. "What do I need to tell her?"  
  
"That you love her, Syaoran-chan!" came Meilin's reply, voice thick with emotion and held-back jealousy. He paused at gaze at her, their eyes locked briefly, before he said dryly, "I've already done that."  
  
"Tell her again!" Meilin pushed, words hushed by a warning glance from Syaoran. "She loves you too," Eriol said quietly. "Just be with her and appease both your desires."  
  
Syaoran sent a harsh look at Eriol. "This is unlike you. What desire does she have for me?"  
  
Eriol chuckled. "You are foolish, Syaoran. Have you looked in her eyes?"  
  
What kind of candy-ass question was that? Syaoran thought acidly. Of course he'd looked into her eyes, too often to count. They were so warm and so fragile, glass orbs of emerald that had emotions captured within them so vividly, so easily to interpret her mood.  
  
"Yes," Syaoran replied stiffly.  
  
"Ah, but you do not look close ENOUGH," Meilin butt in. "Or else, you'd know she loved you like the rest of us do."  
  
She did say she loved me, Syaoran thought blissfully. But was she sincere? Something in his heart urged yes, but when had his heart been right? When he had met Sakura. Oh, yes, true.  
  
"Look at the pandas!" came the shrill, sweet voice of his very Sakura, tugging on his arms impatiently. Eriol and Meilin were polite enough to hold in smiles, but Tomoyo whipped out her video camera.  
  
Syaoran sighed, and followed his darling to stare at the pandas in fascination... her fascination, that is.  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
"Look, Syaoran! A gift shop!" Sakura said, hand once again interlaced with Syaoran's. He looked to see that, across the street, was a gift shop with a pile of adorable plushies gazing at him. Sakura's eyes had that look she got from too much sugar, and the empty cone of cotton candy had been finished only recently.  
  
Sakura let go of his hand, winking at him playfully. "Let's go!"  
  
"Wait, Sakura!"  
  
Sakura began to hop across the street, unaware of the oncoming car. She tripped clumsily on an upturned piece of asphalt, stumbling awkwardly ... right in front of the car.  
  
There was no sound emitted from anyone's mouth, only horror was present in his or her eyes as the car drove over Sakura... and away. A hit and run.  
  
Her mangled body lay in the street; her arm bent awkwardly, blood spilling from the crushed hands. She was knocked out, it seemed, but it did not matter to Syaoran: he rushed over to her side immediately, running a hand through his loved one's hair. He held her head to his chest, eyes closed.  
  
"Sakura..."  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
If one walked into the hospital waiting room, level one, they'd see a group of teenagers. Tomoyo was close to tears, taking one of the pillows on the couch and wringing it nervously. Eriol was trying his best to comfort her, his arm around her shoulders, and slowly stroking her hair. Meilin was close to a nervous breakdown, on her fifth cup of bubble tea, and occasionally muttering under her breath.  
  
But Syaoran... Syaoran. He sat in a chair, staring at the window. A few tears had escaped his shell and were trailing down his cheeks, but he didn't care. His mind was on Sakura, Sakura, and only Sakura. His Sakura. The one who was close to death.  
  
"You may see her," a matronly voice said gently.  
  
They all turned to the doorway, to see a nurse with a warm smile and a clipboard. "She's sleeping now... we'll have to do surgery on her, perhaps amputate her arm... But, it's all up to her now, if she wants to live or not."  
  
She had no idea how true that statement was.  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
Sakura felt a calmness, a coldness, wash over her; she was stuck in a void where her voice echoed as she called out "Where am I?" and there was a dullness to her mirror image, reflected when looked down at the shiny, black ground.  
  
"Welcome, to your mind," came a voice. It was a soft voice, breathy, and spoke slowly and smoothly, no breaks or pauses. Sakura turned toward the voice, to see a beautiful woman, a young man her age, and an old, shriveled lady, each gazing at her.  
  
"Wh-What?" Sakura asked, confused. "My... mind?"  
  
"Yes, your mind," the youth said irritably. "That's what we said, isn't it?"  
  
"Shush, Hiro," the old lady said. "This must be hard on the young girl."  
  
"Meh," Hiro said, tossing his head. "She has to learn to listen."  
  
"Who are you?" Sakura insisted.  
  
"I am Tatsuki, spirit of the future," the beautiful woman said gently.  
  
"Hiro, spirit of the present," he mumbled, eyes cast downwards.  
  
"And I am Kasumi, spirit of the past," the old lady said soothingly.  
  
"And we are here to help you make an important decision," Tatsuki said.  
  
Confusion filled her head, but Sakura's sweet voice rang out "What is my decision?"  
  
Kasumi walked forward, and wrapped her arms around Sakura. Sakura wrapped her arms around the woman in return, confused. Kasumi leaned forward and whispered in her ear:  
  
"Your decision... to live, or to die."  
  
"My... what?" Sakura cried, pulling away. "No, no!"  
  
"Yes, yes!" Hiro mimicked. "Get over it, kid! It's not that hard."  
  
"Not everyone is as quick as you are, dear," Tatsuki said. She then turned to Sakura.  
  
"Dear Sakura, it is a hard decision, but we believe you will make the right choice. There is pain, along with the joy, and if you're willing to accept that, then the choice will come to you easily."  
  
"Alright," Sakura said slowly. "So what will happen?"  
  
"You will be in a coma for three months," Hiro said, waving his hand in a gesture. "Us three will each one month to tell ya the good and the bad."  
  
"I see," Sakura replied. "Like that Christmas story?"  
  
"Ya, sorta like dat," Hiro said.  
  
Sakura felt her eyes go down. "May I... haves some time alone?"  
  
"Sure, sure, honey!" Kasumi said. She gestured to Tatsuki and Hiro, and in a flash, they were gone.  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
'Syaoran... are you crying?' Meilan wondered, gazing at her cousin. He had Sakura's hand in his, something strange in his eyes that made them sparkle. He was slouched over, his head pressed against Sakura's collarbone. He was ... muttering.  
  
"God, please," he said under his breath. "Please, bring her back to me."  
  
[ ----------- ]  
  
Author`s Babble: Isn`t that lovely? Well, anyways, that`s chapter one. I`m planning this to be a five-chapter story, so it won`t be too long although chapters might get a bit... long, yes. =) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and can`t wait for the next chapter!  
  
Please review, it makes me *SMILE!* 


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